What’s that you’re doing, Mr. Krick?

“I’m welding a very fine protective coating onto a component of a Bombardier CRJ900 brake system. It’s a demanding task that requires maximum precision and can be done only with the aid of a computer-guided laser welding machine. The circular component that I’ve attached to the welding machine at chest height holds the disc brake assemblies in place. When an aircraft brakes, it’s not just the brake assemblies that become worn, but also the thin metal bars on which they sit. Although bar wear is minimal, at a certain point, bars do require repair. This is what I set up the welding machine to do; everything else is automatic. The ferrous material on the spool level with my forehead is unreeled and then heated by laser beam for 15 milliseconds so that it melts; a layer precisely one millimeter thick can then be applied. Now the machine moves on to the next position and repeats the process. A good ten hours later, the entire component has been repaired.”